BlackBerry launches ‘Jarvis’ cybersecurity solution aimed at automakers

In a keynote address at the North American International Automotive Show (NAIAS), BlackBerry executive chairman and CEO, John Chen unveiled BlackBerry Jarvis, a transformational software cybersecurity product. The company will initially market the solution to automakers, for whome complex software supply chains create compelling and urgent use cases that Jarvis can help solve.

BlackBerry states that Jarvis is also applicable to other industry segments like healthcare, industrial automation, aerospace, and defence whom also have an immediate need for this product. Built on its cybersecurity expertise and proprietary technology, Jarvis is a one-of-its-kind cloud-based static binary code scanning solution that identifies vulnerabilities in software used in automobiles. It scans and delivers deep actionable insights in minutes, what would otherwise involve manually scanning that would take large numbers of experts and an impractical amount of time.

"Connected and autonomous vehicles require some of the most complex software ever developed, creating a significant challenge for automakers who must ensure the code complies with industry and manufacturer-specific standards while simultaneously battle-hardening a very large and tempting attack surface for cybercriminals," said John Chen, executive chairman and CEO, BlackBerry.

Adding to the challenge for OEMs is the fact that vehicles use hundreds of software components, many of which are written by an expansive network of third party suppliers spread across several tiers. This distributed supply chain offers many advantages while also it increases opportunities for human error that can slow down production cycles and impact overall quality.

Chen continued: "Jarvis is a game-changer for OEMs because for the first time they have a complete, consistent, and near real-time view into the security posture of a vehicle's entire code base along with the insights and deep learning needed to predict and fix vulnerabilities, ensure compliance, and remain a step ahead of bad actors."

How Jarvis Works

The company says the security solution will be offered on a pay-as-you-go usage basis, which is customised for the unique needs of each OEM and their entire software supply chain. Once initiated, automakers will have online access to Jarvis and can scan any number of binary files at every stage of software development. This includes the capability to evaluate new software under consideration as well as the ability to assess existing software already in production. Once scanned, development teams have immediate access to the results via user-friendly dashboards with specific cautions and advisories.

Blackberry states in addition to cost and time savings the solution will also help ensure that production software adheres to industry standards such as MISRA and CERT, and enable OEMs to define custom rules to meet organisation-specific objectives.

BlackBerry says it has already begun trialling Jarvis with some of the world's largest automakers including Luxury-carmaker Jaguar Land Rover.

Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover said: "Jaguar Land Rover and BlackBerry share a common objective in bringing the most intelligent vehicles to reality. BlackBerry Jarvis addresses the software cybersecurity needs of the automotive industry. In our independent study, Jarvis delivered excellent efficiencies in time-to-market, significantly reducing the time to security assess code from 30 days to seven minutes."